Independent participatory media for Iran

A memorial service for Alireza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of Iran was held on January 23, in Maryland with Iranians of different political convictions standing side-by-side to express their sympathies for the grieved family.

Close to two thousand people including three generations of Iranian immigrants from various walks of life as well as well-known political and cultural figures attended the ceremony at Strathmore Music Centre in Bethesda, Zamaneh correspondent reports.

A minute of silence was followed by clips of Alireza Pahlavi’s life and various speeches from his friends, colleagues and relatives.

Farah Pahlavi, Alireza Pahlavi’s mother arouse deep emotions in the participants. She thanked all the people who had sent condolences and expressed sympathies to her from all over the world.

“My pain is no different from the pain of any mother who had lost her loved one,” she said; “whenever I think of Alireza, I tell myself, he flew from the cage.”

Alireza Phalavi committed suicide on January 4 at his home in Boston. Born in 1966, he was the third child of Mohammadreza Phalavi , Iran’s last monarch, and Farah Pahlavi.

With the advent of the 1979 Revolution in Iran, Alireza Pahlavi left Iran at the age of 12 and settled abroad. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a PhD program in Ancient Iranian studies in Harvard.

His younger sister, Leyla Pahlavi also committed suicide nine years ago at the age of 31 in London, England.